Edgar Allan Poe's Mysterious Death

UPDATE AS OF 11/18/12: VOTING IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!
CLICK HERE to see some of the tech-savy campaign presentations!

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Edgar Allan Poe's Ultimate Unsolved Mystery: The Cause of his own Death
"TO DO" LIST:
Print another copy of the assignment description & objectives: HERE (Rubric)

1. Conduct research on the 10 diseases/causes of death accepted by the Top 10 Plausible Theories. For extra copies of the Research Organizer-Notes: Click Here to print.
   • Research Organizers Click here for a format to type-in.
2. Find all 15 "Death Clues" hidden on this page (scroll to the bottom for more information). After finding them, print them, and make sure everyone in your group reads them carefully.
3. Discuss your group's research findings and compare them to the "Death Clues". Keep a list of reasons to disprove theories as you begin to eliminate possible causes of death. Repeat this process for all 10 until you've narrowed it down to at least 1-3 possibilities.
4. Once your group has limited the possible options & narrowed it down to at least 3, begin doing additional "light research" to see what arguments your opponents may try to use to disprove your theory. (A good offense is one that anticipates opposing defensive arguments and plans ahead accordingly.)
5. Complete the Edgar Allan Poe Medical History Questionnaire (Optional, but recommended).
6. Complete your group's "Investigation Report", based on your research, findings and determined cause of death (theory).
7. Plan your campaign--complete the "Action Plan" handout.
8. Study the RUBRIC again carefully to ensure that your group is prepared well, and has considered every aspect of this assignment.
9. Begin your campaign: Week of November 12-16.
10. Public Voting will begin in the Media Center, open to all staff and students.
11. Individually, complete a Summative Reflection Form.

List of Accepted Theories:
(click on the links for a brief description of the illness but be sure to do additional research too!)

1. Meningitis
2. Suffered from diabetes
3. Beaten & robbed
4. Lesions on the brain
5. A heart condition
6. Rabies
7. Hypoglycemia
8. Epilepsy
9. Brain hemorrhage
10. Toxic blood disorder

A few recommended Articles to look at: (But remember--you're the investigator, so be critical in determining whether these "facts" are really credible or not.)

• "The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe"
• May 21, 2012: Edgar Allen Poe's Death, How Edgar Allen Poe Died, What Killed Edgar Allen Poe?
• Feb. 7, 1850 "A Western Obituary for Poe"
• Sept. 15, 1996: "Poe's Death is Rewritten as case of Rabies, not Telltale Alcohol"
  • similar article, published Sept 24, 1996:"Edgar Allan Poe Mystery" (http://www.umm.edu/news/releases/news-releases-17.htm#ixzz1uasyW6bM)
• Nov. 1902. A text written by Dr. John F. Carter, a doctor and personal friend of Edgar Allan Poe: “Edgar Poe’s Last Night in Richmond”
• October 28, 1875:"The 'Official' Memorandum of the Death of Edgar A. Poe"
• May 1867: "The 'Facts' of Poe's Death and Burial"

Poe "Death CLUES" will be hidden within several of the links accessible through this page.

There will be 15 in all. You'll need them to help you solve the mystery and to refine your search. Find them all and use them to help narrow your group's choice of theories! (NOTE: As of 11/5/12, ALL 15 CLUES have been added... Good Luck!)